Abstract
Current wastewater monitoring techniques rely on the use of nutrients detection as the result of some chemical reaction, which is undesirable for long-term use in real-time applications. In addition, new legislation may render such systems obsolete if they cannot reliably determine the amount of nutrients in wastewater relative to allowable levels. This chapter attempts to address this issue by considering the use of microwave sensing techniques as an alternative real-time approach that has the potential to monitor wastewater nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate. The method utilizes a broad range of microwave frequencies (1-15 GHz) and is demonstrated with two different types of structure for this purpose, namely a traditional resonant cavity and a flexible interdigitated electrode structure. A variety of experimental results are shown that validate the applicability of the microwave sensing for detecting phosphates and nitrates in the solutions. LabView software used for analysis of captured data and for easy user interpretation of this data is also demonstrated. Future work to be undertaken is discussed in relation to improving the performance of the sensor further, as well as adding the capability to automatically determine both the type and concentration of nutrients in water solutions.
Access provided by Autonomous University of Puebla. Download to read the full chapter text
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
References
Concerning urban waste water treatment, Council Directive (91/271/EEC) (1991)
E. Agency. Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, (April 2, 2012), http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/regulation/31907.aspx
D. o. E. F. a. R. A. (DEFRA), Sewage Treatment in the UK, London (2002)
Vowell, P.: Aqua cycle, vol. 2011 (2010)
Gilmore, A., Tighe, C., Donato, T., Gill, M.L.: D.O. Home (2010)
Guyer, H.H.: Industrial processes and waste stream management. John wiley and sons, Canada (1998)
E. Agency, Treatment of non-hazardous wastes for landfill, Bristol, UK (2007)
E. Agency. Urban waste water treatment (June 15, 2011), http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/37809.aspx
Henze, M., Loosdrecht, M., Ekama, G., Brdjanovic, D.: Biological wastewater treatment: principle, modeling and design. IWA Publishing (2008)
Gerardi, M.H.: Nitrification and denitrification in the activated sludge process. John Wiley and Sons, New York (2002)
Droste, R.L.: Theory and practice of Water and wastewater treatment. John Wieley & Sons (1997)
Davis, M.L., Cornwell, D.A.: Introduction to Enviromental Engineering, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill (1991)
Halling-Sorensen, B., Jorgensen, S.E.: The removal of nitrogen compounds from wastewater. Elsevier Science (1993)
Bababjanyan, A., Melikyan, H., Kim, S., Kim, J., Lee, K., Friedman, B.: Real-Time Noninvasive Measurement of Glucose Concentration Using a Microwave Biosensor. Journal of Sensors 2010 (2010)
Cataldo, A., Piuzzi, E., Cannazza, G., De Benedetto, E., Tarricone, L.: Quality and anti-adulteration control of vegetable oils through microwave dielectric spectroscopy. Measurement 43, 1031–1039 (2010)
Choi, J., Cho, J., Lee, Y., Yim, J., Kang, B., Oh, K., Jung, W., Kim, H., Cheon, C., Lee, H.: Microwave Detection of Metastasized Breast Cancer Cells in the Lymph Node; Potential Application for Sentinel Lymphadenectomy. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 86, 107–115 (2004)
Nyfors, E., Vainikainen, P.: Industrial microwave sensors. In: IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, vol. 3, pp. 1009–1012 (1991)
Goh, J.H., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I., Field, M., Shackloth, M., Browning, P.: Non Invasive Microwave Sensor for the Detection of Lactic Acid in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF). Presented at the Sensors and their Applications XVI, Cork, Ireland (2011)
Mason, A., Wylie, S., Thomas, A., Keele, H., Shaw, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I.: HEPA Filter Material Load Detection Using a Microwave Cavity Sensor. International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems 3, 322–337 (2010)
Al-Dasoqi, N., Mason, A., Alkhaddar, R., Al-Shamma’a, A.I.: Use of Sensors in Wastewater Quality Monitoring - A Review of Available Technologies. Presented at the 2011 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress, Palm Springs, California (2011)
Korostynska, O., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I.: Monitoring of Nitrates and Phosphates in Wastewater: Current Technologies and Further Challenges. International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems 5, 149–176 (2012)
Kajfez, D.: Temperature characterization of dielectric-resonator materials. Journal of the European Ceramic Society 21, 2663–2667 (2001)
Afsar, M.N., Birch, J.R., Clarke, R.N., Chantry, G.W.: The measurement of the properties of materials. Proceedings of the IEEE 74, 183–199 (1986)
Pozar, D.M.: Circular Waveguide. In: Microwave Engineering, 3rd edn., pp. 119–120. John Wiley and Sons, New York (2005)
Ansys, Ansys HFSS (2012), http://www.ansoft.com/products/hf/hfss
Goh, J.H., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I., Field, M., Browning, P.: Lactate Detection Using Microwave Spectroscopy for In-Situ Medical Applications. International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems 4, 338–352 (2011)
Blakey, R.T., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I., Rolph, C.E., Bond, G.: Dielectric Characteristics of Lipid Droplet Suspensions Using the Small Perturbation Technique. Presented at the IMPI 46, Las Vegas, USA (2012)
Goh, J.H., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I., Wylie, S., Field, M., Brown, P.: Lactate Detection Using a Microwave Cavity Sensor for Biomedical Applications. Presented at the Fifth International Conference on Sensing Technology, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2011)
Pozar, D.M.: TM Modes. In: Microwave Engineering, 3rd edn., pp. 121–123. John Wiley and Sons, New York (2005)
Catenaccio, A., Daruich, Y., Magallanes, C.: Temperature dependence of the permittivity of water. Chemical Physics Letters 367, 669–671 (2003)
Tamura, H., Matsumoto, H., Wakino, K.: Low temperature properties of microwave dielectrics. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 28, 21–23 (1989)
Korostynska, O., Mason, A., Al-Shamma’a, A.I.: Proof-of-Concept Microwave Sensor on Flexible Substrate for Real-Time Water Composition Analysis. Presented at the ICST 2012: 6th International Conference on Sensing Technology, Kolkata, India (2012)
Balanis, C.A.: Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, 3rd edn. Wiley-Blackwell, United States (2005)
Levit, N., Pestov, D., Tepper, G.: High surface area polymer coatings for SAW-based chemical sensor applications. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 82, 241–249 (2002)
Cornila, C., Hierlemann, A., Lenggenhager, R., Malcovati, P., Baltes, H., Noetzel, G., Weimar, U., Göpel, W.: Capacitive sensors in CMOS technology with polymer coating. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 25, 357–361 (1995)
Tan, Y., Yin, J., Liang, C., Peng, H., Nie, L., Yao, S.: A study of a new TSM bio-mimetic sensor using a molecularly imprinted polymer coating and its application for the determination of nicotine in human serum and urine. Bioelectrochemistry 53, 141–148 (2001)
Pandey, P.C., Upadhyay, S., Pathak, H.C.: A new glucose sensor based on encapsulated glucose oxidase within organically modified sol–gel glass. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 60, 83–89 (1999)
Gupta, R., Mozumdar, S., Chaudhury, N.K.: Effect of ethanol variation on the internal environment of sol–gel bulk and thin films with aging. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 21, 549–556 (2005)
Calabria, J.A., Vasconcelos, W.L., Daniel, D.J., Chater, R., McPhail, D., Boccaccini, A.R.: Synthesis of sol–gel titania bactericide coatings on adobe brick. Construction and Building Materials 24, 384–389 (2010)
Stoycheva, T., Vallejos, S., Blackman, C., Moniz, S.J.A., Calderer, J., Correig, X.: Important considerations for effective gas sensors based on metal oxide nanoneedles films. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemica 161, 406–413 (2012)
Meixner, H., Gerblinger, J., Lampe, U., Fleischer, M.: Thin-film gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 23, 119–125 (1995)
Tomchenko, A.A., Harmer, G.P., Marquis, B.T., Allen, J.W.: Semiconducting metal oxide sensor array for the selective detection of combustion gases. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 93, 126–134 (2003)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mason, A., Korostynska, O., Al-Shamma’a, A.I. (2013). Microwave Sensors for Real-Time Nutrients Detection in Water. In: Mukhopadhyay, S., Mason, A. (eds) Smart Sensors for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring. Smart Sensors, Measurement and Instrumentation, vol 4. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37006-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37006-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37005-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37006-9
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)